Follow our top fire safety tips to protect your property and the people within, this Christmas…

• Fit a smoke alarm on each level of your property. Test your smoke alarm weekly and never remove batteries to power another device.
• Plan your escape route. Make sure you and the people within the property know the quickest way out in the event of a fire. Consider an alternative route in case your usual one is blocked.
• Never leave your food cooking in the kitchen unattended.
• Never leave candles unattended. Keep decorations, cards and wrapping paper away from candles, fires, lights and heaters.
• Ensure you switch off fairy lights and unplug them before you leave the property.
• Don’t overload sockets. Always turn off plugs when they are not in use.
• Make sure cigarettes are extinguished properly and never smoke inside the property.
• Ask the experts: H Timmins Group can identify potential fire risks and offer advice on what to do to reduce or prevent them.
• And finally, in the event of a fire: get out, stay out and call 999.

Fact: Government statistics released from the Fire and Rescue Service revealed the proportion of households with a working smoke alarm has increased, reaching 89 per cent in 2015/16. This is an important factor as in 2016/17 36 per cent of fire-related fatalities occurred when there was no alarm present in the dwelling.

“Everyone enjoys the festive cheer that a Christmas tree and decorations can bring. But the sad fact is that all this can act as extra fuel for a potential fire. Unsafe electrical decorations, overloaded plugs and unattended candles are all potential causes of fire.

“Just two to three breaths of toxic smoke from a fire can render a person unconscious and you have less time to escape than you think. It only takes a minute for festive celebrations to go up in smoke, so I urge everyone to be fire safe this year and have a great Christmas.”

The Government’s Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser Sir Ken Knight

For more information on how to stay safe from fire, visit the Fire Kills website or Contact us.